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Abstract
Democracy and democratisation in Africa: Part 1
Concepts, theoretical approach, historical overview and current state
LitNet Akademies Jaargang 9(2), Augustus 2012
The end of the 1980s not only witnessed the demise of Marxist-Leninist authoritarianism in
the former Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellite states, but also heralded the arrival
of liberal democracy as the triumphant form of government. As this new wave of democracy
engulfed the international system, many states threw off the authoritarian yoke and by
adopting new democratic constitutions and holding free and fair elections, took up their
rightful positions in the international community. This new wave of democracy also swept
through Africa. After decades of suffering under dictatorial regimes of almost every
imaginable type, most African societies embarked hopefully on the new promising road to
democracy and freedom.
The enthusiasm generated by the process of democratisation in Africa is evidenced by the
fact that between 1990 and 1994 no fewer than 38 multiparty elections were held throughout
the continent. Even the National Party government in South Africa made the momentous
decision to abandon its policy of apartheid in favour of a negotiated settlement and the
establishment of an inclusive democracy. This radical departure from a policy on which the
party had remained steadfast since 1948 and which motivated the African National Congress
(ANC) during the sixties to embark on a campaign of armed resistance, is generally regarded
as one of the most dramatic and significant developments in the African democratisation
process.
However, in sharp contrast with the rest of the world, where the process of democratisation
had been initiated and consolidated with a great measure of success, the process on the
African continent met with only meagre results. In actual fact, after more than 20 years of
democratisation, only the small island state of Mauritius is presently regarded as a fullyfledged
democracy in Africa. The remaining 53 states, including South Africa, are classified
as flawed democracies or hybrid or authoritarian systems. With the exception of the Middle
East, Africa still remains the most undemocratic and poorly governed region in the world.
Understandably, the process of democratic transformation in Africa has been described as
transition without change (Prempeh 2007).
The purpose of this article is to identify, by means of a literature study, the political culture,
the political elite choice and the macrostructural factors that were responsible for the fact that
the democratisation process initiated during the early nineties in Africa did not deliver more
substantial results. Where applicable the impact of these factors on the process of democratic
consolidation in contemporary South Africa, will also be highlighted.
In order to provide the necessary background this article first elaborates briefly on the
concepts democracy and democratisation. Such an analysis is deemed vital because of the
many misinterpretations that surround the term democracy as well as the various significant
theoretical contributions that appeared regarding the process of democratisation.
Secondly, the main democratisation theories as well as the theoretical approach on which this
article is based is outlined. Rather than selecting a specific approach from among the existing
democratization theories, an eclectic or integrative approach has been followed.
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